Van den Berg, Jan-AlbertFourie, Magdalena Cornelia2015-08-142015-08-142010-11http://hdl.handle.net/11660/871English: The changing landscape of work and careers is attributed to constant world changes. It requires employees’ skill regarding self-management as a locus of responsibility with pro-activity and an openness for new experiences. The population explosion of middle career adults and increasing knowledge regarding the middle career development have led to the identification of the middle life stage as a time worthy of study. In the study the metaphor of opera plays an important role. The research aims at becoming libretto (operatext) itself, with the accompaniment and application of metaphoric meaning where the structural exposition is embodied in the overture, acts and finale. This study is at home in the epistemological and methodological development of a broad and interdisciplinary dialogue, where various voices in the form of different domains converse in order to establish an integrated whole. An interdisciplinary dialogue deals with the attempt to convene a variety of disciplines of reasoning strategies with wide frames of reference, different epistemological catalysts and experimental resources. Four domains in this research study are given an opportunity to speak in an attempt to sensibly be held accountable regarding the challenge of spiritual life coaching as facilitating process would succeed in promoting middle career development. Although the four voices form the main characters, accents and nuances which have been embodied in additional characters representative of co-researchers and the librettis, are also heard. The first domain entails practical theology that does not only want to focus on man’s religious actions, but involves communication. It wants to establish a meeting between God and man, as well as communication with others to create space for God in this world outside the circumference of the church where public importance is underlined with a directedness to public wisdom and social transformation. The pragmatic facilitates a reflective dialogue and the construction of models which are applied by practical theology to provide guidance to individuals and communities regarding the method of activities or practices. Middle career development supposes the second domain and is regarded as a reevaluation and questioning time regarding personal, professional and spiritual development. The middle career entails the age group 40 to 55 years. This phase is characterized by two major variables, namely the confrontation of middle year transition and the retaining of productivity levels. Spirituality in the workplace currently enjoys wide corporative interest due to a worldwide movement which has brought about an emphasis shift to work as meaningful and sensible. It supposes the third dialogue partner representative of the domain, namely spiritual intelligence. The search for meaning and significance is brought into relation with spirituality due to the latter being described and understood as a type of intelligence. Life coaching, as the fourth domain, is multidisciplinary by nature. It is considered to be an eclectic approach where various skills and techniques are borrowed from other disciplines. Life coaching is considered to be a collaborative, solution-focused, resultsorientated and systematic process during which the coach facilitates the increase of life experience and goal achievement in the personal and professional life of the client. These four domains have united to an integrated whole where all participating parties could be heard in unison in the supposed interdisciplinary dialogue. The study reaches a climax in the agreeing illumination that spiritual life coaching as facilitating process can promote middle career development.Afrikaans: Die veranderende landskap van werk en loopbane word toegeskryf aan konstante wêreldveranderinge. Dit vereis van werknemers vaardigheid ten opsigte van selfbestuur as ’n lokus van verantwoordelikheid, met ’n proaktiewe gees en ’n openheid vir nuwe ervarings. Die bevolkingsontploffing van middeljarige volwassenes, en toenemende kennis aangaande die middelloopbaanfase, het gelei tot die identifisering van die middellewe as ’n tydperk van die lewensloop, wat die moeite werd is om te bestudeer. In dié studie speel die metafoor van opera ’n belangrike rol. Die navorsing beoog om self libretto (operateks) te word, met die begeleiding en die aanwending van metaforiese betekenis as brug tussen verskillende domeine met die aanwesigheid van ’n interdissiplinêre aksent. Die strukturele uiteensetting word vergestalt in die ouverture, bedrywe en finales. Dié studie is tuis in die epistemologiese en metodologiese ontwikkeling van ’n breë en interdissiplinêre gesprek, waar verskeie stemme in die gestalte van verskillende domeine saamgesels, ten einde ’n geïntegreerde geheel daar te stel. ’n Interdissiplinêre gesprek handel met die poging om verskeie dissiplines of redenasie strategieë met wye verwysingsraamwerke, verskillende epistemologiese brandpunte en eksperimentele bronne bymekaar te bring. Vier domeine is in hierdie navorsingstudie aan die woord gestel in ’n poging om sinvol verantwoording te doen rakende die uitdaging, naamlik of spirituele lewenstylafrigting as fasiliteringsproses daarin sal slaag om middelloopbaan-ontwikkeling te bevorder. Alhoewel die vier stemme die hoofkarakters vorm, is ook aksente en nuanses vergestalt in bykarakters, verteenwoordigend van die medenavorsers en librettis, gehoor. Die eerste domein behels praktiese teologie, wat nie net op die mens se religieuse handelinge wil fokus nie, maar ook met kommunikasie te make het. Dit wil ’n ontmoeting tussen God en die mens bewerkstellig, asook kommunikasie met ander. Dit poog om plek te maak vir God in hierdie wêreld, buite die grense van die kerk, waar openbare belangrikheid onderstreep word deur ’n gerigtheid tot openbare wysheid en sosiale transformasie. Die pragmatiese fasiliteer ’n oordenkende dialoog en die konstruering van modelle, wat deur die praktiese teologie aangewend word om leiding aan individue en gemeenskappe te bied rakende die manier waarop aktiwiteite of praktyke uitgevoer moet word. Middelloopbaan-ontwikkeling verteenwoordig die tweede domein en word as ’n herevaluerende en bevraagtekende tydperk tydens persoonlike, professionele en spirituele ontwikkeling beskou. Die middelloopbaanfase behels die ouderdomsgroep van 40 tot 55 jaar oud. Hierdie fase word gekenmerk deur twee major veranderlikes, naamlik die konfrontering van die middeljare-oorgang en die behoud van produktiwiteitsvlakke. Spiritualiteit in die werkplek geniet tans wye korporatiewe belangstelling, vanweë ’n wêreldwye beweging wat ’n klemverskuiwing na werk as betekenis- en sinvol meegebring het. Dit veronderstel die derde gespreksgenoot verteenwoordigend van die domein, naamlik spirituele intelligensie. Die soeke na betekenis en sinbelewing word met spirituele intelligensie in verband gebring, omrede spiritualiteit as ’n tipe intelligensie beskryf en begryp word. Lewenstylafrigting as die vierde domein, is multidissiplinêr van aard. Dit word as ’n eklektiese benadering beskou, met verskeie vaardighede en tegnieke wat uit ander dissiplines ontleen word. Lewenstylafrigting word beskou as ’n samewerkende, oplossing-gefokusde, resultaatgeoriënteerde en sistematiese proses, waartydens die afrigter die verhoging van lewenservaring en doelwitbereiking in die persoonlike en professionele lewe van die kliënt fasiliteer. Hierdie vier domeine het in ’n geïntegreerde geheel verenig, waar alle deelnemende gespreksgenote samehangend in die veronderstelde interdissiplinêre gesprek gehoor kon word. Die studie bereik ’n hoogtepunt in die instemmende verheldering dat spirituele lewenstylafrigting as fasiliteringsproses wel middelloopbaan-ontwikkeling kan bevorder.afThesis (Ph.D. (Practical Theology))--University of the Free State, 2010Theology, PracticalCareer developmentMid-careerSpiritual direction -- ChristianitySpiritual intelligencePersonal coachingNarrative approachWorkplace spiritualityAdult life developmentAnthropologyPastoral encounterTransversal rationalityPostfoundational practical theologyInterdisciplinary dialogueThesisUniversity of the Free State